Securing and Controlling Remote Access of a Memory-Mapped Device Utilizing an Ethernet Interface and Test Port of a Network Device

1. A network device comprising: an access port connected to a memory-mapped device; an interface to receive an Ethernet frame transmitted over an Ethernet network to the network device, wherein the Ethernet frame comprises bits for testing or debugging the memory-mapped device and is received at the interface based on an output of a host device; a first controller to convert the Ethernet frame to a first access frame; a test port to receive a diagnostic signal transmitted from the host device to the network device; and a second controller to (i) convert the diagnostic signal to a second access frame, and (ii) control passage of the first access frame and the second access frame to the memory-mapped device via the access port, wherein the first controller is to test or debug the memory-mapped device based on data received from a register of the memory-mapped device via the access port, wherein the data is written in the register of the memory-mapped device based on the first access frame and the second access frame.

2. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is to (i) based on the Ethernet frame, determine whether the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device, and (ii) if the host device is not authorized, prevent the host device from accessing the memory-mapped device.

3. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is to, if the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device, permit the host device to perform at least one of control operation of the memory-mapped device or change contents of the register.

4. The network device of claim 1 , wherein memory-mapped device is isolated from the host device via the network device.

5. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the second controller is to (i) determine which one of the first access frame and the second access frame is a higher priority, and (ii) permit passage of the one of the first access frame and the second access frame with the higher priority to the access port.

6. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the test port is a joint test action group port or a serial wire port.

7. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is configured to, if the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device: monitor a header of the Ethernet frame; based on a frame type field in the header, determine whether the Ethernet frame corresponds to a test, wherein the frame type field of the header indicates whether the Ethernet frame is a test frame for the test; and if the Ethernet frame is a test frame, test the memory-mapped device based on the Ethernet frame.

8. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is configured to while determining whether the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device: send a random number to the host device; receive from the host device an encrypted version of the random number; compare a decrypted version of the received encrypted version of the random number to the random number sent to the host device; and determine whether the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device based on the comparison.

9. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is configured to: based on the Ethernet frame, determine whether the host device is authorized to access an automotive network of the network device, wherein the automotive network is a network of devices disposed in an automotive vehicle; if the host device is not authorized, prevent the host device from accessing the automotive network; and if the host device is authorized, provide access to the automotive network.

10. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the access port, interface, first controller, test port and second controller are implemented on a system-on-chip.

11. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the system-on-chip comprises the memory-mapped device.

12. A method comprising: receiving at an interface of a network device, an Ethernet frame transmitted over an Ethernet network to the network device, wherein the Ethernet frame comprises bits for testing or debugging a memory-mapped device and is received at the interface based on an output of a host device, wherein the memory-mapped device comprises an access port; converting the Ethernet frame to a first access frame; receiving at a test port of the network device a diagnostic signal transmitted from the host device to the network device; converting the diagnostic signal to a second access frame; controlling passage of the first access frame and the second access frame to the memory-mapped device via the access port; and testing or debugging the memory-mapped device based on data received from a register of the memory-mapped device via the access port, wherein the data is written in the register of the memory-mapped device based on the first access frame and the second access frame.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: based on the Ethernet frame, determining whether the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device; and if the host device is not authorized, preventing the host device from accessing the memory-mapped device.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, if the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device, permitting the host device to perform at least one of control operation of the memory-mapped device or change contents of the register.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: determining which one of the first access frame and the second access frame is a higher priority; and permitting passage of the one of the first access frame and the second access frame with the higher priority to the access port.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the test port is a joint test action group port or a serial wire port.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, if the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device: monitoring a header of the Ethernet frame; based on a frame type field in the header, determining whether the Ethernet frame corresponds to a test, wherein the frame type field of the header indicates whether the Ethernet frame is a test frame for the test; and if the Ethernet frame is a test frame, testing the memory-mapped device based on the Ethernet frame.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising while determining whether the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device: sending a random number to the host device; receiving from the host device an encrypted version of the random number; comparing a decrypted version of the received encrypted version of the random number to the random number sent to the host device; and determining whether the host device is authorized to access the memory-mapped device based on the comparison.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: based on the Ethernet frame, determining whether the host device is authorized to access an automotive network of the network device, wherein the automotive network is a network of devices disposed in an automotive vehicle; if the host device is not authorized, preventing the host device from accessing the automotive network; and if the host device is authorized, providing access to the automotive network.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the access port, interface, test port and memory-mapped device are implemented on a system-on-chip.